Appeture sites or scopes

I prefer the proper scope over an apperature sight. Having the target and sighting device all on the same sight plane and increased light gathering ability are the primary reasons for my choice. The apperature sight has some benefits though. They are light and do not upset the balance of the rifle and are potentially more rugged than a scope. I think they are both fairly even in the speed on target catagory if one has an appropriate scope for the range and knows how to properly find the target with a scope. uglydog

 

Ditto on U-dog's comments. Sometimes though it is just a heck of a lot of fun to shoot peep sights and for someone whose eyes ain't what they used to be, peeps are surprisingly easy to focus and gratifyingly accurate.

 

I haven't had an elk at 5 feet but have had numerous deer and a few black bears at about that range. Last fall I didn't have much trouble finding the chest of a grizzly in my crosshairs at about 30 feet. The scope was a Simmons Aetec 2.8x10. It isn't my first choice but it is the only one I had at the time. My new bear gun has a 1x4 Leupold on it just for the extra field of view. I am planning on having a decent set of open sights put on this gun but it is only prudent to have a back up system on a dangerous game gun. With proper technique (both eyes open), regular practice, and magnification that is reasonable for the range, there should be little difficulty acquiring the target. If any of these are not followed, use of any sight becomes more difficult. uglydog

 

I did state that there is a place for apperature sights, I just think a scope is capable of much the same and has a couple of extra benefits that out weigh the negatives. Mounting the apperature on the Marlin would be a great idea from a nostalgic view, I was going to make an offer to Jeff23 for his Marlin but other factors prevented me from doing so. I still am leaning towards mounting a peep sight on a Winchester 94 if I ever get one for myself, I saw an old style peep in a magazine a while back and really fell for the look. I also may mount one on my .375 H&H as a back up, I just don't know how the rear apperature may affect the use of the scope. If that is not possible, I'll have to have an express type sight installed. The July issue of Rifle magazine has a short article by John Barsness on why he is beginning to use open sights more often. I can't disagree with any of his reasons but my preference runs towards a scope. Of course few of my scopes have high magnification, a 6x24 on my .223 is tops followed by the Simmons. Two 3x9s and a 2x7 are next and then many 1.5x4.5 and 1.75x5s. I use a pistol scope on my 30/30 Marlin in a Scout rifle configuration, that is a fast set up for quick shooting. I have become a believer in this concept for quick pointing at close range. With both eyes open, it is as fast as pointing a pistol but much more accurate. It is not a set up for long range precision shooting but is an easy "minute of whitetail" in the gun's effective range.
Another negative to peep sights is that many modern rifles are no longer tapped for them and the cost of the sight and tapping can be rather expensive. I haven't looked lately but I don't think that my new model 336 is tapped for peep sights. The majority of rifles are tapped for scopes which can be mounted fairly inexpensively at home. uglydog

 

I admit I have a bias towards scopes which started when I was very young. I started shooting with open sights but was a very poor shot. I eventually "had" to have a scope and my shooting improved dramtically. A couple of years later, it was determined that I was very near sighted and that was a major reason for my poor initial shooting. Fortunately for me, I had learned how to use a scope in the most optimal manner rather than like most who use it as if it were a telescope. If I could have seen normally, I may have a very different opinion on scopes.
We have a 39A in the family, I may have to try a peep on it some day. It is my dad's and he has never used anything other than the original sights with the hooded front. He is not a believer in peep sights, his reasons are vague but I don't think he is comfortable looking through the ring. He and his brothers are the riflemen of the family, they shoot about everything from .17 cal up to .50 BMG and often compete in various venues. My tastes run towards shotguns and handguns but I do well enough to keep them from disowning me. uglydog

 

The same was said of me when I hunted with an auto shotgun, now that I use an O/U I pull the empties out of the chamber. My handguns are mostly carry guns though I do have a Savage Striker, a T/C Contender, and a Ruger Super Redhawk. I'm not the pistoero I used to be but have taken a few bucks off the cops that hang around work. uglydog

 

I've seen these sights in catalogs myself but haven't noticed them in the stores. I guess I think of the old Williams 48 style rear sight that mounts to the side of the reciever when I think of peep sights, not the style that mounts on the top. I toyed with the idea of the rear sight from someplace out in New England for my 375 H&H but went with an express type leaf sight instead. It was much cheaper and doesn't interfere with the scope. Now I'm set for Alaska in a little sless than two weeks.

 

Drop-shot,I am new here so I hope I'm not butting in.With that said, I have a set of the williams wgrs receiver sights from midway on my 444 marlin.I think I gave around $ 40 for them.They came with a front sight and a spacer in the pack.And the rear sight is mounted it the scope mount holes.There a good set of sights for the price.
I also seen that someone was talking about the AO ghost ring sights.The rear sight is more or less a receiver sight without the aperture.With a over sized hole and the front sight is over sized to.It is great for moveing game at close range I have been told but I have never shot with them.I have been wanting a set for my 1895G.DD444

 

Drop-Shot
I'm sorry to hear about your back pain, I hope you get to feeling better soon.I have two 45/70's myself but I don't have the cowboy.I have the 1895S and a 1895G {Marlins} in the 45/70.I had always thought the 45/70 kicked bad to.But with factory ammo they are not that bad.They have to keep the factory ammo loaded down to the old black powder pressure limits around {25,000 c.u.p.}.So the people with the older black powder models can use factory ammr maybe the factory ammo doesn't feel that bad to me because I have been shooting my reloads so long.Compared to my reloads kick, the factory ammo feels weak.The 1895 Marlin can safely be operated up to {40,000 c.u.p.} So if you reload there is a lot of room for improvement over factory loads.I hope you get to shoot that cowboy soon. :wink: DD 444